According to a statement released by Suntory Food and Beverage, former Danone executive Stanislas de Gramont is to become CEO of the Japanese firm's European operations.
De Gramont will take up the London-based post on 20 January when the division, Suntory Beverage & Food Europe Ltd, will begin trading.
The unit will head up Suntory's Orangina Schweppes Group, as well as the Lucozade and Ribena brands which have recently been acquired.
According to LSA, de Gramont's appointment has been all but confirmed since August 2013 by Suntory CEO Nabuhire Torri, when Jacques Steffens left the European division.
This is considered to be somewhat of a homecoming for Stanislas de Gramont who began his career at Orangina when this brand still belonged to the spirits group Pernod Ricard, between 1987 and 1992. Since then the 48-year-old has spent most of his career with Danone, and since 2011, he was the company's chief eecutive for Western Europe and North Africa.
The Argentine Gustavo Valle, current CEO of Danone Fresh Dairy Products in the United States and Canada, will be de Gramot's successor in Danone.
Orangina Schweppes primarily operates in France, Belgium and Spain and employs 2,500 people.
